Infant bathtub

ABSTRACT

The tub includes side, end and bottom walls and a false bottom spaced above the bottom wall and defining with the bottom, side and end walls a lower chamber and with the side and end walls an upper bathing chamber. The false bottom at one end of the tub includes an inclined surface sloping toward a recessed horizontal surface adjacent the other end of the tub. Above the recessed surface is a perforated platform hinged at one end and spring biased upwardly into a generally horizontal position. A valve normally closes an opening in the recessed horizontal surface of the false bottom and is coupled to the platform to open in response to downward pivotal movement of the platform to drain water from the upper bathing chamber into the lower chamber. The spring has sufficient tension to support two or three pounds but will compress under the weight of an infant should the infant slide down or fall forward from the inclined surface of the false bottom onto the platform whereby the valve opens and water is quickly dumped from the upper bathing chamber into the lower chamber to prevent drowning of the infant.

United States Patent [191 Poiencot 11 3,882,553 [4 May 13,1975

[ INFANT BATHTUB [76] Inventor: Joseph Louis Poiencot, 504 Ash St., l-louma, La. 70360 [22] Filed: Feb. 4, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 439,007

Primary Examiner-Robert 1. Smith Attorney, Agent, or FirmLeBlanc & Shur [57] ABSTRACT The tub includes side, end and bottom walls and a false bottom spaced above the bottom wall and defining with the bottom, side and end walls a lower chamher and with the side and end walls an upper bathing chamber. The false bottom at one end of the tub includes an inclined surface sloping toward a recessed horizontal surface adjacent the other end of the tub. Above the recessed surface is a perforated platform hinged at one end and spring biased upwardly into a generally horizontal position. A valve normally closes an opening in the recessed horizontal surface of the false bottom and is coupled to the platform to open in response to downward pivotal movement of the platform to drain water from the upper bathing chamber into the lower chamber. The spring has sufficient tension to support two or three pounds but will compress under the weight of an infant should the infant slide down or fall forward from the inclined surface of the false bottom onto the platform whereby the valve opens and water is quickly dumped from the upper bathing chamber into the lower chamber to prevent drowning of the infant.

10 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures INFANT BATHTUB The present invention relates to a bath tub and particularly to a portable infant bath tube designed to safeguard the infant from drowning.

Many bath tubs of reduced size and weight for portability and for the use by infants are currently available and marketed. To applicants knowledge, most of these tubes are comprised simply of side, end and bottom walls defining a chamber in which the infant can be placed and bathed. These bath tubs do not contain safety features which would in any way assist to prevent the drowning of an infant in such bath tub. As is readily apparent, should an infant be left unattended for any period of time or if an infant, while in the bath tub, falls from a sitting position, there is a very great danger that the infant may drown. The level of water within the tub usually utilized for washing purposes is also sufficient to cover the face of the infant should the infant fall onto his back, side or stomach while in the tub. Consequently, the bathing of an infant in a bath tub requires great care and attention but unfortunately inadvertence and inattention while bathing infants can and does occur whereby the necessity to provide an effective safeguard against infant drownings in bath tubs arises.

The present invention is therefore directed to an infant safety tub which minimizes and/or eliminates the presently existing unsafe conditions in infant bathtubs vis-a-vis the possibility of the infant drowning in the bath tub, and provides a novel and improved infant safety bath tub having various advantages in construction, mode of operation and result particularly in preventing an infant from drowning in such tub. More particularly, the present invention provides an infant safety bath tub having side, end and bottom walls and a false bottom spaced above the bottom wall. The false bottom thus defines with the side and end walls an upper bathing chamber and with the side, end and bottom walls a lower chamber, each chamber being substantially coextensive in length and width with the margins of the tub. The false bottom has an inclined surface portion adjacent one end of the tub which slopes toward a generally horizontal surface portion recessed below the inclined surface portion and adjacent the opposite end of the tub. Spaced above the horizontal recessed surface portion is a platform which is hinged at one end directly adjacent the lower edge of the inclined surface portion to lie substantially flush therewith. The platform is supported in a generally horizontal position by a coil spring disposed between the platform and the horizontal surface portion of the false bottom. The recessed horizontal surface portion of the false bottom also includes an opening having a normally closed valve therein which normally seals between the upper and lower chambers. The valve is coupled to the platform and opens in response to downward pivotal movement of the platform against the bias of the spring. A vent opening is provided through the false bottom whereby air in the lower chamber can be vented when water enters the lower chamber through the valved opening in a manner to be described. Also, the end wall is provided with a drain whereby the lower chamber can be drained.

In using the infant safety bath tub of the present invention, the infant is placed in the upper chamber of the tub on the inclined surface portion of the false bottom. Wash water is provided the upper chamberm to the level desired. The infant can thus be bathed in the usual manner. Should the baby be left unattended and- /or slide down or fall forward into the bottom of the upper chamber, i.e., onto the hinged platform, the infants weight will pivot the platform downwardly against the bias of the spring and open the valve thus quickly dumping the water from the upper chamber into the lower chamber. The valve opening is, of course, of a size to completely evacuate water from the upper chamber in a manner of a couple of seconds whereby drowning of the infant is prevented. The quick dump of the water is effective to prevent drowning even should the infant fall face down at the bottom of the upper chamber. Preferably, the spring located between the false bottom and the platform is set to have a predetermined upward bias of about 2 or 3 pounds pressure. Thus, when the infant is disposed on the inclined surface of the false bottom, the infants legs may rest on the platform without causing the platform to pivot downwardly sufficiently to open the valve. Any additional downward pressure or weight on the platform would cause the platform to pivot downwardly and the valve to open. Also, the inclined surface per se reduces the water depth at that one end of the bath tub and thus reduces or eliminates the possiblity of the infant drowning at that one end should the infant fall backwards or adjacent the upper end of the inclined surface.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved safety bath tub for infants.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved safety bath tub for infants wherein the possibility of the infant drowning in the bath tub is substantially eliminated.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved safety bath tub for infants wherein the bath tub is emptied of water automatically in response to locating the infant in the deepest part of the bath tub.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved safety bath tub for infants which is portable, light in weight, simple in construction, and inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following specification, appended claims and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a safety tub for infants constructed in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a bathtub generally designated 10 having side, end and bottom walls 12, 14, and 16, respectively with the side and end walls terminating at their upper ends in a curved lip or flange 18 forming a margin about the open upper side of bathtub 10. A wall of the bathtub, for example end wall 14, and adjacent bottom wall 16 is provided with a drain 20 which is normally sealed by any suitable means for example a plug or cap 22. Intermediate the height of tub 10 there is provided a false bottom 24 which extends the entire length and width of tub 10, the margins of false bottom 24 being sealed to the side and end walls 12 and 14, respectively. False bottom 24 is stepped as at 26 and includes a surface 28 inclined from end wall 14 toward step 26. The opposite end portion of the false bottom 24 is recessed to form a well 30, the bottom of the well being defined by a generally horizontally extending surface 32 forming a portion of the false bottom 24.

With the foregoing described construction, it will be appreciated that the false bottom 24 defines a lower chamber 34 which is further defined by lower portions of the side and end walls 12 and 14, respectively, and bottom wall 16. False bottom 24 in conjunction with the upper portions of the side and end walls 12 and 14, respectively also defines an upper chamber 36. The volume of the respective chambers 34 and 36 is such that the volume of lower chamber 34 is at least approximately equal to or greater than the volume of the chamber 36 for reasons which will become apparent from the ensuing description.

False bottom 24 is provided with an opening 40 through the generally horizontally disposed surface 32 at the bottom of well 30. In opening 40, there is provided a depending, generally tubular, valve seat 42 which extends downwardly into lower chamber 34. Also disposed within opening 40 and in sealing relation about valve seat 42 is a valve member 44 having an upwardly projecting stem 46. Valve member 44 is generally bell shaped and may be formed of a resilient material whereby valve member 44, in the full line position illustrated in FIG. 1, seals about the margins of seat 42 adjacent its lower end.

Attached to the upper end of valve stem 46 is a perforated plate or platform 48. Platform 48 is spaced above the generally horizontal surfce 32 of false bottom 34 and is pivoted at one end by hinges 50 to the upper portion of step 26. In this manner, the edge of platform 48 adjacent hinge 50 lies substantially flush with the lower edge of the inclined surface 28. To maintain platform 48 in a substantially horizontally disposed position within the tub and also to maintain valve member 44 in sealing relation about the valve seat 42, a helical spring 49 is interposed between surface 32 and the underside of platform 48 whereby platform 48 is biased for pivotal movement about hinge 50 in a clockwise direction as illustrated in FIG. 1 to lie normally in the illustrated full line generally horizontally disposed position. It will also be observed in FIG. 1 that the margin of the platform 48 adjacent its end remote from hinge 50 is spaced or set back from the end wall 14 which is inclined to permit this swinging movement. Similarly, the side margins of platform 48 are spaced or set slightly back from the side walls of the bathtub to permit platform 48 to pivot between the full and dashed line positions illustrated in FIG. 1. This spacing is, of course, very small as illustrated. As particularly noted in FIG. 2, platform 48 has a plurality of perforations 54 distributed substantially uniformly throughout its surface. With one or more of the margins of platform 48 spaced back from the side and/or end walls of the bathtub, and with perforations 54 provided in platform 48, it will be appreciated that water disposed in upper chamber 36 through, for example, a filler opening 56 in end Wall 14 fills well 30 as well as portions of the upper chamber 36. Since valve member 44 normally seals opening 40, the lower chamber 34 remains empty and void of water during normal use of the bathtub.

In utilizing the bathtub hereof, the infant may be washed while sitting or reclining on inclined surface 28 and which surface 28 forms an offset seat for the infant.

, fully accomplished in that there is provided an infant The infants legs moreover, when sitting, may be disposed on platform 48 without causing platform48 to pivot as previously noted. With Wash water in the upper chamber 36 to the level desired, the infant may be bathed in the usual manner.

Should the infant slide down theinclined surface 28 or fall forward toward and into the bottom of the tub,

for example, in the event thatthe baby isleft unattended, the babys full weight will be disposed on platform 48. The spring 49, interposed between the perfo-- rated platform 48 and above the horizontal surface 32, is tensioned such that the platform will remain substantially horizontal and hence the valve member 44 will remain in sealing relation about valve seat 42 for loads on platform 48 up to a predetermined load. When the predetermined load is exceeded, for example when the weight of the platform exceeds. two or three pounds,

the platform .48 will pivot downwardly abouthinge 50 against the bias of spring 49. Downward pivotal movement of platform 48 displaces valve member 44 down-.

wardly away from valve seat 42 to open thhe valve.

When the valve is opened, the wash water from chamber 36 flows quickly through opening 40 into the lower chamber 34 thereby rapidly evacuating the wash water from upper chamber 36. Opening 40 is sufficiently large in comparison with the quantity of water to be through opening 40 readily and easily vents air from chamber 34 through vent opening 58. Consequently, even if an infant falls face down on top of platform 48, the wash water will be quickly drained from chamber 36 and in sufficient time to prevent the infant from downing.

The water evacuated from chamber 36 and disposed. in lower chamber 34 can be thereafter readily drained by removing cap 22 and permitting water in chamber 34 to drain through drain opening 20.

It will be appreciated that the infant safety bathtub hereof as previously described can be formed of a variety of materials. For example, the entirety of thebathtub could be formed of plastic, stainless steel, aluminum or other material, it being appreciated that the valve member 44 should necessarily be formed of a resilient material such as synthetic rubberfln a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the size of the present safety tub may approximate the sizeof presently available commercial baby bathtubs, i.e. 40

inches in length, 20 inches deep and 18 inches wide.

Accordingly, it will be seen from the foregoing description that the objects of the present invention are safety bathtub wherein the possibility of the infant drowning in the bathtub, for example when left unattended, is substantially eliminated. Moreover, the bath-' tub is configured such that it is emptied automatically characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A safety bathtub for infants comprising: a tub having side, end and bottom walls, a false bottom spaced above said bottom wall and extending between said side and end walls thereby defining upper and lower chambers within said tub with said upper chamber of a size for bathing an infant, means carried by said tub providing for communication between said upper and lower chambers and including a normally closed valve disposed between said chambers for preventing communication of water from said upper chamber to said lower chamber, and means carried by said tub above said false bottom and responsive to the weight of an infant for opening said valve thereby to flow water from said upper chamber to said lower chamber and substantially empty said upper chamber.

2. A bathtub according to claim 1 wherein said valve opening means includes a platform spaced above said false bottom, said opening means being responsive to the weight of an infant on said platform to open said valve.

3. A bathtub according to claim 1 wherein said false bottom includes an inclined surface and a recessed surface with said inclined surface inclining toward said recessed surface, said valve opening means including a platform spaced above said recessed surface and lying substantially flush with the lower edge of said inclined surface, means mounting said platform for movement in a direction toward said recessed surface, means for normally restraining said platform from said movement, means coupling said valve and said platform to open said valve in response to movement of said platform toward said recessed surface, said platform being responsive to the weight of an infant on said platform to overcome said restraining means and thereby open said valve to flow water from said upper chamber to said lower chamber.

4. A bathtub according to claim 3 including means for pivotally connecting said platform to said false bottom for movement toward and away from said recessed surface.

5. A bathtub according to claim 3 wherein said restraining means includes a spring coupled between said platform and said false bottom.

6. A bathtub according to claim 3 wherein said platform has a plurality of perforations therein.

7. A bathtub according to claim 3 including a vent for said lower chamber.

8. A bathtub according to claim 3 including a normally closed drain for said lower chamber.

9. A bathtub according to claim 1 wherein the capacity of said lower chamber is at least the capacity of said upper chamber whereby substantially the entirety of the water in said upper chamber can be dumped into the lower chamber when said valve is open.

10. A bathtub for infants comprising: a tub, having side, bottom and end walls, and a false bottom spaced above said bottom wall and joining said side and end walls to define therewith an upper chamber of a size for bathing an infant, and a lower chamber, said false bottom having an inclined surface portion and a surface portion recessed from said inclined surface portion to define a well with said inclined surface portion sloping toward said well, said recessed surface having an opening, a normally closed valve carried by said false bottom and disposed in said opening for preventing flow of water from said upper chamber through said opening into said lower chamber, a platform in said well and spaced above said recessed surface portion and mounted for movement in response to the weight of an infant on said platform, means coupling said platform and said valve and responsive to movement of said platform to open said valve and empty the water from said upper chamber into said lower chamber. 

1. A safety bathtub for infants comprising: a tub having side, end and bottom walls, a false bottom spaced above said bottom wall and extending between said sIde and end walls thereby defining upper and lower chambers within said tub with said upper chamber of a size for bathing an infant, means carried by said tub providing for communication between said upper and lower chambers and including a normally closed valve disposed between said chambers for preventing communication of water from said upper chamber to said lower chamber, and means carried by said tub above said false bottom and responsive to the weight of an infant for opening said valve thereby to flow water from said upper chamber to said lower chamber and substantially empty said upper chamber.
 2. A bathtub according to claim 1 wherein said valve opening means includes a platform spaced above said false bottom, said opening means being responsive to the weight of an infant on said platform to open said valve.
 3. A bathtub according to claim 1 wherein said false bottom includes an inclined surface and a recessed surface with said inclined surface inclining toward said recessed surface, said valve opening means including a platform spaced above said recessed surface and lying substantially flush with the lower edge of said inclined surface, means mounting said platform for movement in a direction toward said recessed surface, means for normally restraining said platform from said movement, means coupling said valve and said platform to open said valve in response to movement of said platform toward said recessed surface, said platform being responsive to the weight of an infant on said platform to overcome said restraining means and thereby open said valve to flow water from said upper chamber to said lower chamber.
 4. A bathtub according to claim 3 including means for pivotally connecting said platform to said false bottom for movement toward and away from said recessed surface.
 5. A bathtub according to claim 3 wherein said restraining means includes a spring coupled between said platform and said false bottom.
 6. A bathtub according to claim 3 wherein said platform has a plurality of perforations therein.
 7. A bathtub according to claim 3 including a vent for said lower chamber.
 8. A bathtub according to claim 3 including a normally closed drain for said lower chamber.
 9. A bathtub according to claim 1 wherein the capacity of said lower chamber is at least the capacity of said upper chamber whereby substantially the entirety of the water in said upper chamber can be dumped into the lower chamber when said valve is open.
 10. A bathtub for infants comprising: a tub, having side, bottom and end walls, and a false bottom spaced above said bottom wall and joining said side and end walls to define therewith an upper chamber of a size for bathing an infant, and a lower chamber, said false bottom having an inclined surface portion and a surface portion recessed from said inclined surface portion to define a well with said inclined surface portion sloping toward said well, said recessed surface having an opening, a normally closed valve carried by said false bottom and disposed in said opening for preventing flow of water from said upper chamber through said opening into said lower chamber, a platform in said well and spaced above said recessed surface portion and mounted for movement in response to the weight of an infant on said platform, means coupling said platform and said valve and responsive to movement of said platform to open said valve and empty the water from said upper chamber into said lower chamber. 